IIT (ISM), Dhanbad

Materials for Energy Application

Our group aims to understand the underlying structural chemistry of functional solids in order to develop energy materials. Our primary focus is to design lithium- and sodium-ion conductors for solid-state battery applications. Since structure-transport correlation is the basis for designing materials with the desired properties, we investigate the structure via X-ray, neutron diffraction, and pair distribution function analysis, along with physical properties including electronic and ionic transport and mechanical property analysis.

Structural Chemistry of Solid Electrolytes

Ionic conductors are central to developing several energy applications, including batteries, fuel cells and sensor technologies. We aim to probe the ion-diffusion pathway, which can help to design fast ionic conductors. Currently, we are focused on sulfides, thiophosphates and halides for this purpose. We employ various structural characterization techniques and transport measurement tools to correlate the structure with transport.

Selected Publications

Banik, A.; Samanta, B.; Helm, B.; Kraft, M. A.; Rudel, Y.; Li, C.; Hansen, M. R.; Lotsch, B. V.; Bette, S.; Zeier. W. G. Exploring Layered Disorder in Lithium-Ion-Conducting Li3Y1–xInxCl6. Inorg. Chem. 2024, 63(19), 8698–8709.
Ohno, S.; Banik, A.; Dewald, G. F.; Kraft, M. A.; Krauskopf, T.; Minafra, N.; Till, P.; Weiss, M.; Zeier, W. G. Materials design of ionic conductors for solid state batteries. Prog. Energy 2020, 2, 022001.
Banik, A.; Famprikis, T.; Ghidiu, M.; Ohno, S.; Kraft, M. A.; Zeier. W. G. On the underestimated influence of synthetic conditions in solid ionic conductors. Chem. Sci. 2021, 12, 6238-6263.

Interfacial Chemistry of solid-state batteries

Solid-state batteries are considered a potential substitute for conventional lithium-ion battery technology because of higher energy density if lithium metal and solid electrolytes are used. Critical concern regarding the use of solid electrolytes is poor stability window and sensitivity toward lithium metal leading to the formation of ionically insulating interphase. We aim to study (electro)-chemical stability of solid electrolytes and correlate it with the solid-state chemistry and physics of materials to understand ion-diffusion kinetics at the electrode-electrolyte interface.

Selected Publications

Banik, A.; Liu, Y.; Ohno, S.; Rudel, Y.; Jiménez-Solano, A.; Gloskovskii, A.; Vargas-Barbosa, N.; Mo, Y.; Zeier. W. Can substitutions affect the oxidative stability of lithium argyrodite solid electrolytes? ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2022, 5, 2045–2053.